Submarine chaser.



1. A. AHSENAULT.

S-UBMARINE CHASER.

APPLICATION mw' Nov. 3. 1917.

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1 ,2'7CL0941 Patented Juno 18, 1918,

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J. A. ARSENAULT.

SUBMARINE CHASER.

APPLlVcATIoN msn Home. m1.

Patented June 18, 1918.

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w im am@ JOSEPH A. ARSENAULT, OF BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

SUBMARINE Grinsen.`

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1s, 1918.

Application led November 3, 1917. Serial No. 200,150.

beams in various directions, together with glass-covered observation windows adjacent them. Details of my preferred construction are set forth in the following specification and shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a general central vertical longitudinal section, partly in side elevation, showing a practical arrangement of parts;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the hull giving a plan View of the driving mechanism, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section about on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The hull 1 of this submarine vessel will by preference be made of sheet metal plates `riveted and welded edge to edge so as to ered and constitute rams or piercing punchers adapted to be driven into the hull of the enemy submarine, although of course they may be driven into the hull of any enemy ship which they couldv pierce. At its midlength for a Certain distance the hull is truly cylindrical, and its ends taper from the cylindrical portion to the points or rams 2. Below each tapering end is a keel 3, and an opening therein moves the rudder 4. The steering mechanisms are not shown, but will of course be in duplicate and separate from each other, as one rudder must be set fiXedly at whichever is the forward end of the vessel while the other rudder is manipulated to steer the same. 5-5 are the submerging rudders, and 6 are the propellers. The driving mechanism therefor is not shown, but it must be such that the propellers may be rotated in either direction with equal speed at will. Ladders or stairways leadu ward through hatches 8 at the midlengt and give access to a deck at the top surrounded by a suitable rail 9. The lhull is internally equipped with suitable quarters for the crew, tanks for storage, receptacles for food and ammunition, and the motive elements and their driving Ineans or bunkers or tanks for their fuel. I prefer, as is usual with submarine vessels, to use gasolene engines when the` vessel is at the surface and the hatch 8 and other air-openings are open, and electric motors when the vessel is submerged and the contained air is necessary for the crew. y

One important feature of my invention is the means for lpermitting the quick submergence of this submarine Chaser at either end, and while this feature is valuable in a chaser, it might also be valuable in a submarine boat and I do not wish to be limited as to its use. The present device being a double-ended vessel, the submerging means are duplicated. At some little distance from the midlength of the hull toward each ram there is disposed a ballast tank 10 of considerable size, and pipes l1 open from it through the sides of the hull and contain `sea-cocks l2 which when opened admit water to the tank and cause this end of the vessel to be heavier and therefore to settle as is well understood. The tank may be later easily` depleted of this water through an outlet pipe 13 having a valve lil, by means of a pump l5. The structure of tanks 10 is Ashown in Fig. 4 and their relative positionis shown in Fig. 2. These tanks each include an upper member the middle portion of which providesa floor for the main chamber while the sides extend upwardly at 10 along sides of the hull, and are spaced therefrom, being deflected and secured at l(). This formation of the tank walls increases the capacity of the tanks without materially detracting from thc available space within the main chamber.

With this construction, let us assume that the vessel is traveling on the surface and partly submerged, and an enemy vessel is discovered ahead. The hatches 8 and other openings are immediately closed, the forward sea-cocks 12 opened, and water begins to run into the tank 10. This causes the ore part of the vessel to soon become heavier than the after part, and the result is that the bow of the vessel is inclined rapidly downward so that as she is driven forward by her propellers she dives or submerges quickly. In addition the horizontal rudders 5 will be set as usual with submarine vessels. The

purpose is to get the chaser quickly below the surface so that she can bring her ram into use on the submerged portion of the hull of an enemy vessel or on any part of the hull of an enemy submarine. In addition, it vis possible that the vessel'could'be provided with torpedo tubes, but this detail is not illustrated herewith, as it forms no part of the vpresent invention. l

Another and extremely important feature of my invention is the means for discerning a wholly submerged enemy vessel, such as a submarine which may perchance lie on the bottom. Just forward and rearward of the deck the hullV is arched atits top as at 30 to produce headway for what I call the observation room, and this headway has a flat front wall 31. The latter is provided with an observation window 32, each side of the arch with two similar windows 33 and the top of the arch with' a window 34, making six observation openings in eachv headway arch.A Contiguous to these several windows are strong searchlights 35 directing their beams forward, laterally, and upward when properly manipulated from the interior by the handles 36 as illustrated. When the vessel is afloat these lights and windows are above the surface, but other lights 37 are.

mounted on the bow and sternjust inside the rams 2 and facing forward and aft, and still others 38 in channels 39 in the keel 3 and facing a beam. f These searchli'ghts 37 and 38 are Valways beneath Vthe' surface of the water, although the observation takes place lthrough side windows 40 inthe hull when the vessel is awash or through the windows 32 or 33 when it is afloat. `Details of the construction of the searchlights are not essential to this specificatiomybut I prefer that they be strong electric lights, and they may of course be controlled by switches within reach of the operator on the interior.

Thus is produced a submarine chaser having rams at both ends, means for quick submergence when occasion arises, and searchlights on all sides projecting beams of light in all directions and serving as eyes with which the navigator may constantly :search the surrounding water ffor submerged veneiny vessels. Having discovered one, he may quickly manipulate his little craft by descending or rising at will, steer it toward the enemy, and ram the hull of the vessel with one of his steel' points 2-in fact his ram might be used successfully on the hull of any enemy craft, and of course he could use torpedoes if his vessel were provided with them. At the same time his defense .reference to the keel, illuminating means mounted within the channels, and directing their rays toward the bow and stern respectively, propelling and guiding means, and submerging tanks located within the hull and extending across portions of the bottom thereof and upwardly along portions of the sides.

2.l In a submarine chaser, the combination with a double-conical hull, having rams at the bow and stern, and steering and propelling mechanisms; ofarched headways at the top of the hull forward and rearward of its midlength, observation windows in the end, sides, and top of each headway, searchlights contiguous to said windows, channels across the bottom of the hull, windows in the sides of the latter, searchlights within said channels, and other searchlights on the hull near its rams and projecting their beams forward and rearward, theselightsand those in the channels vbeing always submerged.

3.. In a submarine vessel of the type .de-

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` /Washingtom D. C. 

